Gov. Kemp to sign shelter in place order, to close K-12 schools through end of year

This afternoon, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced he is closing schools for the remainder of the school year and issuing a shelter in place order which will go into effect Thursday, April 2nd for the entire state of Georgia.

“Tomorrow, I will sign a statewide shelter-in-place order which will go into effect on Friday and run through April 13, 2020,” Kemp said. “This date is in line with our public health emergency order.”

He said online learning will continue for K-12 students.

Kemp presented the changes as in response to new information about the virus being contagious without symptoms for longer than previously known.

“I want to thank all of the educators and superintendents who that stayed in touch with us through this process to make the best of a tough situation,” he said.

The Governor has resisted calls for a statewide order for all Georgians to shelter at home, saying those decisions are best left to local governments. The result has been a patchwork of ordinances that can vary widely even between neighboring communities.

The new orders comes after the Georgia Department of Health confirmed more than 4,600 cases of coronavirus in the state. Health officials report 139 people have died and over 950 are hospitalized due to the the virus.